Thaindian News

Guwahati, Sep.1 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday set a September 15 deadline for the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) a.k.a. the “Black Widow” terror group to surrender.

Talking to reporters here, Gogoi said that the state government would not extend the cease-fire deadline set earlier for the group.

“No extension of cease-fire deadline with Black Widow beyond September 15,” Gogoi tersely said.

Gogoi’s tough stand was reiterated three days fater he had undertaken a four-hour whirlwind tour to Haflong, the headquarters of North Cachar Hills district where the DHD (J) is active.

Gogoi, who reviewed the ground situation in the insurgency-hit district and held key meetings with top administration and security officials, stressed that the DHD (J) must stop all kinds of insurgent activities and extortion campaigns as a precondition to talks.

He said “the group must also hand over all the arms before coming forward for talks.” The arms will be deposited in an armoury, to be supervised by both police and the outfit.

The Calcutta Telegraph had earlier quoted Gogoi, as saying that the government had been receiving feelers from the DHD (J), expressing the outfit’s willingness to sit for a dialogue. But it would not accept any such offer unless the outfit’s leadership, and not a section of its cadres, came forward for talks.

DHD (J) chief Jewel Gorlosa, was arrested along with another leader, Partho Warisa, from Bangalore in June this year, forcing the outfit’s lower ranked cadres to declare a unilateral cease-fire.

Dispur, however, continued its operation against the outfit. The unilateral ceasefire, declared by the DHD (J) in North Cachar Hills for three months, will expire on September 7.

Gogoi also made it clear that Dispur would not agree to the demand of renaming North Cachar Hills into Dima Hajao Raji and that the district would not suffer any vivisection in future.

The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the “visible improvement” in law and order in the district in the past three months.

He assured tribal leaders that measures would be taken to usher in peace, rehabilitate violence-hit people and chalk out a special development package for the district. (ANI)